Wednesday, January 11, 2012

AMHERST, Mass. -- What to watch for in tonight's 49ers-Massachusetts game at the Mullins Center:

-- The Minutemen (12-4, 1-1) are the second-highest scoring team in the Atlantic 10 at 77.2 points per game. Charlotte's defense, much of it man-to-man, slowed down another high-scoring team in Saint Joseph's on Saturday. The 49ers will have to contain UMass guard Chaz Williams, who averages 15.7 points, 5.9 assists and 2.5 steals. He's got a 1.8 assist-turnover ratio.

-- UMass is tough on the boards, averaging 41.2 per game. The Minutemen do that by committee, though. They don't have a player ranked in the top 15 in the league in rebounding overall. Sean Carter and Terrell Vinson each average 6.1.

-- The road has not been a bad place for Charlotte (9-5, 2-0) this season. The 49ers are 5-3 away from Halton Arena -- including the 57-52 victory against St. Joe's -- so this is Charlotte's ninth road game in 15 games. Four of Charlotte's next five are at home (Saint Louis, non-conference Kennesaw State, Temple, Xavier; with a trip to George Washington on Jan. 21) Incidentally, the only time the 49ers have started 3-0 in Atlantic 10 play was in 2005-06, their first season in the league.